Five “New” Bites I had in Nottingham in 2015 that I am still thinking about!

Instead of telling you my favourite places, or compiling a list of the meals that ‘you should eat’ in the places that ‘you should be seen in’

I am looking back and remembering my five most memorable new bites of the year.

These truly are the bites and tastes that if you ask me (and someone did) I would say you must have or try.

So here goes, in no particular order,

Five “New” Bites I cannot forget from 2015

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“The Magic Mushroom” Pizza at Oscar and Rosie’s

I am a massive fan of the Pizza at Oscar and Rosie’s on Thurland Street and back in September the night before the new restaurant opened I visited to try some of their new pizza toppings and bowls of mac ‘n’ cheese. On that night I was treated to a slice of one their latest creations The Magic Mushroom made with ‘wild and flat mushrooms, fresh thyme, and old Winchester cheese’. It is such a simple set of toppings ‘Mushroom’ and ‘Cheese’, but the quality of the ingredients makes it like a million dollars on your tastebuds, my memory is that it had such a rich taste of the garden that it was kind of ‘down and dirty’ When I blogged about it I said “From the first mouthful I was sold” and I have been talking about it to my friends and anyone else who will listen ever since.

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Quail Scotch Eggs at Oaks Restaurant

Now many of you who have followed this and my other blogs will know that I have a bit of a penchant for a Scotch Eggs, so it is with great joy that I can say another one of the great ‘new tastes I had in 2015 was the Scotch Egg at Oaks Restaurant in Bromley Place. When I blogged about the restaurant back in July I said that “I could eat these babies all day long. Man alive! these beautiful little nuggets of joy were quite simply amazing.”

Crisp and Crunchy coating, well seasoned beef meat and a perfectly cooked quails egg with a runny soft yolk = yum to the extreme. It turned out that I was not the only one that thought so, as they were shortlisted for The Scotch Egg Challenge 2015, the only place outside of London to make the top 15 in the country.

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The Lemon Curd Doughnut from The Nottingham Doughnut Company

Even though I do not really like puddings or sweet things, I have fallen in love with the Lemon Curd filled doughnut from the Nottingham Doughnut Co. It is hard to believe how short a time that they have been trading for. I had only just got used to picking up my fill of sweet heaven on the streets and they had opened up their own little basement shop in the Old Market Square. Now their Donut filled with the Lemon Curd is my go to choice, and I hope that they continue to make it in 2016 as it is one of their best creations.

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The Mentaiko Pasta at Time Out Café

Sometimes you have to take a stretch outside of your comfort zone to find that special little extra something. That was certainly the case on my second trip to the Time Out Café on Wheeler Gate when I ordered a bowl of their Mentaiko pasta. I was so glad that I did. It sounds a bit weird as it is basically mentaiko (marinated cod roe) mixed with butter (or mayonnaise) and hot pasta to create a pink-hued cream sauce. As I ate my first few mouthfuls, I was really surprised as I was expecting quite a briny flavour. It was so different to what my brain said it should be, it was a mild mix of sweet and salt combined with a mild spice heat. I found that the dish was so comforting and creamy. It was so easy to eat, I was shovelling it in, I can see now why everyone in the place was ordering it.

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The 7th Scout Group Doughnuts at Goose Fair

Ok so I said earlier that I am not a big eater of the sweet treats, but somehow another Doughnut made it into the 5 new tastes I loved in 2015! I could not resist and I have to be honest and say what have I talked about?, raved about? and taken someone else to try this year? and what will I be recommending and hoping to get next year?

Well drum roll if you must, but my last new bite of the year is the doughnuts sold by the 7th Nottingham Scout Group at Goose Fair. I loved the machine that makes them, I loved the lovely folk serving them up, and I could not believe how light. fluffy and yummy they were. I wanted that machine and I have been hunting one down on ebay and other such places ever since. I cannot wait for Goose Fair 2016 to get another one

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There are so many places that I love to eat at in Nottingham and so many great people that I have met while blogging in this fantastic city. In the last few years since I started The Nottingham Food Blog so many new places have moved into the city. There is often much fanfare, invites to openings, covert advertising, and exaggerated social media fluff, that it is hard to remember the truly memorable bites and tastes that one has been served.

I have eaten time and time again at many places, not always featured on the blog, but every time I find somewhere new I am hoping for that new memorable taste that makes it worthwhile sifting through the dross and that keeps me coming back for more. It keeps me out of trouble (mostly)